Smart Assistive Shoes with Internet of Things Implementation for Visually Impaired People

Visually impaired people usually have a lot of difficulties involved in interacting with their environment. Physical movement is a major challenge for them, because it can be tricky to make a distinction about where they are and how they can move from one place to another. In this project, smart assistive shoes with Internet of Things (IoT) implementation is designed. These shoes are equipped with ultrasonic sensors and vibration motors that can warn users about obstacles. Next, the IoT system is implemented using Adafruit IO and If This, Then That (IFTTT) to transfer data between Google Assistant and buzzer for shoes position finder purposes. NodeMCU allows the buzzer on shoes to be controlled by the Internet using its WiFi module which is connected to the mobile phone hotspots. As a result, shoes with an obstacle detection system which can detect obstacles within 20 cm distance and shoes position finder using Google Assistant are designed. In conclusion, hopefully these shoes will become one of the alternatives to aid the independent movement of the visually impaired people in the future.